South African filmmaker Michael Matthews says he is honoured that Beyoncé recognised his film as one of the inspirations for her new highly acclaimed country album, Cowboy Carter.
Last week, the US singer revealed that each track on the album drew inspiration from a different Western film, and that she often screened the films in the background while recording.
One of the films she named was Five Fingers For Marseilles, a 2017 contemporary Western directed by Matthews, and South Africa’s first Western film.
“It’s a huge honour to have made a mark on an artist as bold and innovative as Beyoncé,” Matthews told South African newspaper The Sowetan.
“And to be included among filmmaking royalty like [Quentin] Tarantino and [Martin] Scorsese,” he continued, referencing Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight and Scorcese’s Oscar-winning Killers of the Flower Moon, which Beyoncé also cited among the influences for Cowboy Carter.
Matthews added that it was significant for Beyoncé to acknowledge a South African movie.
“The hope is that it leads to more eyes on the film around the world and on our incredible local films and filmmakers across the board.”